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At Least 96 Sickened With Norovirus at North Carolina Sushi Burger Bar

At least 96 people were sickened with norovirus from The Cowfish Sushi Burger Bar in Charlotte, NC, in early June, reports the Charlotte Observer.

The North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services confirmed one norovirus case with laboratory testing and said the other 95 were “probable” cases.

The Cowfish closed on June 5 and June 10, reopening on June 16.

The restaurant initially suspected a problem with the calamari before thinking the illnesses reported by customers were not linked to food.

“By the time the restaurant knew something was amiss on June 5, at least nine of the restaurant’s roughly 140 employees had been sickened,” reported the Observer, reviewing health department documents.

The Cowfish’s owner said that since reopening, they have enhanced cleaning protocols and implemented a more detailed system for tracking employee illnesses.

The health department plans to release a final report of the outbreak at the end of July.